The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-08-24
A FEW PUZZLES.
Some Curiousiy Addressed Let
ters that Come to New York.

Some CuriouSiy Addressed Let
ters that Come to New York.
In the New York postoffce there is an
employe whose name is Stone, but who
is generally known rs the Blind Man.
He has answered to that title for thirty
one years. but his s-yesight isas keen as
falcons. IL partly because Of his keen
ness Of vision, and partly because of the
remarkable aptitude he has developed
for deciphering hieroglyphical directions
on letters that he has been given the title
which, more correctly expressed, would
read, The Man Who Deciphers Blind
Directions
The ,rk of the Blind Man has now
grown so l,rge that half dozen assist
ants are kept busy poring over direc-
tories of all the principal cities of this
country and Europe Lists of firms, in
dividuals and streets are also looked
through. These have accumulated dur
ing third of century, but the directo-
ries are mostly old, as the government is
too pennrious TO provide new directories
upon requisition. The ~blind depart
ment received in enc dav fifty-four
registered letters which the regular clerks
could do nothing with.
BIG DAYS WORK.
The blind man and his assistants have
studied out 800 blind directions in ordi
nary letters in one day. Those that
prove undecipherable are sent TO the dead
letter office at Washington. Most of the
puzzles come from abroad, but bankers
and brokers in New York and other large
cities, Assistant Postmaster Gaylor says,
are the most frequent sinners. Hundreds
of letters come from Brooklyn every day
TO New York that are intended for par
ties IN Brooklyn, but only New York has
been written under the names on the face
Of the envelopes. Bank people are some
times very careless writers, and their let
te-s 20 astray often because the direction
looks like something for which ii is not
intended Not long ago, a letter sent by
q country bank TO a city bank, and con-
tanning $4,000, did not turn up. II was
directed J. r. Perkins, Cashier, \. Y"
II was sought in vain for many days, un-
til at last Mr.. Gaylor, in looking closely
at the writing of the cashier that directed
the missing letter, surlnised that his
" Cashier" might have ben mistaken for
Caiskill, and sure enough upon writing
10 The Catskill postoiiice that proved TO !
be the case, for the $4,000 letter WAS ly-
ing in the pigeon-hole ofthat office await
ing call.
Another letter had such clumsily
written Yonkers upon its face that it did
not reach that city, only fourteen miles
away. until it had been to Turkey and
back Another instance Of careless writ
ing that made much amusement for an
interested English nobleman was on a
letter intended for j. Smith, Des Moines,
Iowa. The letters were run together so
curiously that they were supposed to
read b" Delmonico's Town" 1t was sent
TO the great restaurateur, and remained
with him until Delmonico sent it back
with the remark that j. Smith did not
board with him.
SOME FOREIGN LETTERS.
4 iayorite style of dins-ting with for
eigners seems to be- Of this order:
Solomon, merchant tailor, clothes
cleaned, repaired and altered, l22 Madi-
son Avenue, Amerika.' Another read :
Herrn George Wolf. bought Of James
Krink, dealer in staple and fancy grocer |
les, fruits, vegetables, oysters in season,
No. l,0l5 West Seventeenth St, cor. Ru-
dolph." These are copied from billheads,
and give everything except the most es- (
sential point OF all, the name OF the /
place.
Very few know in how many ways
Pennsylvania can be spelled. Here are I
few specimens Pennavainei, Pensel- /
mein, Penci(van Pen ;. Nena, Pensyl 1
vainnia, Bersievania, Pennalsevena, Pan (
sylivainia, Pennsilvaia, Renselwanna.
Here are few occasional spellings
Biijoisi for Ocean Beach, " j.. Minaset-
to for Minnesota, Paceyck, for Passaiac, (
New Jaarse, Now Gerti and New Gercy /
for New jersey, 0io and Ohio for Ohio,
sirakus for Syrakuse.
An envelope has this q shall ask You
to please send back the letters | received .
when nod at home and which | don't
got Another writes: :. / can too little (
English for tell you what mean. Have
sent you letter on Swiss packet to Mr.
by the factory OF the L. 5. in Jarsay
City. He will my mouthpiece be with
you
As examples of deciphering take this
one
Mrs. Frank NJ.
Stouder,
" Rass hell.
The blind man translates it into Mrs-
Frank VI. Stouder, New Rochelle"
And this
Paul Caplette,
Nestra.
Which was sent tc Haverstraw.
Here is "A regular iawbneaker of a name
and a decidedly mixed direction
kriez Hollyak,
Czim bizet,
Faouth river,
Newije kou;ie,
America.
In each case cited the full address
found upon the letter has been given.
These selections were made from the ac-
cumulations of one full day and part of
another, with the exception Of the two
mentioned by Mr.. Cayior. which passed
through the office some time before.
Each day brings between one and two
thousand letters equally obscure which